Showing results by author "J S Fletcher" in All Categories

A ghoulish collection of loathsome and macabre tales full of astounding skill and diabolical cleverness. 'The Coffin Merchant' by Richard Middleton, 'The Everlasting Club' by Arthur Gray, 'The Vampire' by Jan Neruda, 'The Lighthouse on Shivering Sand' by J. S. Fletcher, 'The Story of the Spaniards' by E. & H. Heron, 'Over an Absinthe Bottle' by W. C. Morrow, 'The Anticipator' by Morley Roberts, 'The Snow' by Hugh Walpole, 'The Conjurer' by Richard Middleton....

After Dr. Charles Essenheim vanishes following a large cash withdrawal and the purchase of a rare book, his secretary and nephew uncover a calculated plot involving a second high-value book purchase and a mysterious woman. The discovery of Essenheim’s body on a remote Yorkshire moor shifts the search into a formal murder investigation that centers on an eccentric seller of the book, and a shadowy accomplice. Through methodical detective work by Scotland Yard, the team eventually apprehends a prime suspect, his associate, and a dancer, recovering both stolen volumes.

A brilliant collection of some of the finest old sea stories ever written. 'The Overcrowded Iceberg' by Morley Roberts, 'The Substitute' by W. W. Jacobs, 'Reparation' by J. D. Beresford, 'The Paradise Coal-Boat' by Charles John Cutcliffe Hyne, 'The Registered Packet' by J. S. Fletcher, 'Treasure Trove' by Neil Munro, 'The Vengeance of La Maraye' by J. S. Fletcher, 'The Sea-Raiders' by H. G. Wells, 'No Ships Pass' by Eleanor Smith....

Forty breathtaking short stories of gripping adventures, secrets and strange conspiracies. 'The Dust That Was Barren' by P. C. Wren. 'The Deserter' by Stacy Aumonier. 'The Lighthouse on Shivering Sand' by J. S. Fletcher. 'The Secret of the Smoked Spectacles' by William Le Queux. 'The 39 Steps' by John Buchan. 'Three Pennyworth of Luck' by Basil Murray. 'The Secret of Dr. Vaux’s Intrigue' by William Le Queux. 'A Thread of Scarlet' by J. J. Bell. 'How I Became a Secret Agent' by Dr. A. K. Graves.

When wealthy industrialist and land owner John Mallathorpe passes away in an unfortunate accident without a known will, his estate falls into the hands of his wife and children. They live a lavish lifestyle until a humble bookseller uncovers Mallathorpes hidden will inside a book from the estate. The will reveals a shocking truth - the entire estate, save for a small sum for the family, has been left to the city authorities. The bookseller, seeking legal advice, dies unexpectedly in a solicitors office. A keen-eyed clerk spots an opportunity to exploit this newfound knowledge for personal gain...

This story, originally published as Black Money in 1922, by Joseph Smith Fletcher (1863-1935), is a fast-paced thriller full of surprising twists and turns. Hetherwick, a young lawyer, becomes a witness to murder riding the train late one night. Of the two men who entered his train compartment, one drops dead, for no apparent reason, as the train pulls into Charing Cross station.

It seems very unreal but the author is not only top-notch with his plot handling but he never strays from the bounds of reason. It isn’t easy to fool someone like detective sergeant Blick of Scotland Yard, but he does it. Blick is called in by an archeologist named Mr. Fransenmery to help solve the killing of Guy Markenmore, who had been away from the area for seven years and had returned because of the expected death of his father.

It was a lonely English courtyard where attorneys received traditional apprenticeship … one of the ancient Inns of Court. The bludgeoned body of a well-dressed elderly man was found there at midnight, an apparent murder victim. Investigative newspaper reporter Frank Spargo was one of the first to arrive at the crime scene and he was puzzled about why such a prosperous looking man had been wandering there at that time of night. The only item found on the body was a small paper with a young barrister’s address.

A fast-paced and varied collection of captivating short stories ranging from action thrillers to poignant tear-jerkers to the downright weird, including: "Jerry Bundler" by W. W. Jacobs, "The Umbrella Mender" by Beatrice Harraden, "Green Ink" by J. S. Fletcher, "Why Herbert Killed His Mother" by Winifred Holtby, "The Red Mark" by Israel Zangwill, "The White Kid Glove" by J. S. Fletcher, "Sophy Mason Comes Back" by E. M. Delafield, plus many more.

A gripping collection of weird and fantastical stories of supernatural and unbelievable happenings. "Pomegranate Seed" by Edith Wharton; "The Tiger" by Hugh Walpole; "When I Was Dead" by Vincent O'Sullivan; "The Fire" by Charles John Cutcliffe Hyne; "Satan's Circus" by Eleanor Smith; "The Coffin Merchant" by Richard Middleton; and more tall stories....

'Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea' is the tale of two enemies abandoned on a deserted island. Pierre Rochelle, a convict escaped from a French penal colony, has been living alone on a remote Pacific island for the past three years, with no means of escape. Then one day he finds a man asleep on the beach on the far side of the island. The new arrival has just been marooned by his mutineering shipmates. Even as he still sleeps, Rochelle recognizes him as Gaston Charette - his own mortal enemy, the man whose false testimony had sent him to the penal colony in the first place.

A delightful collection of light-hearted classic stories from some of the greatest Victorian and Edwardian-era writers.

Someone killed Susan Wheeler by breaking her neck, hid her body in a country lane and made off with the content of her purse–a vulgar enough crime, on the surface. By what is a masterpiece of actual and deductive sleuthing, two young men prove that it was motivated by long-dead scandals and smothered hatreds, pin the crime on a proper person among a number of suspects, and finally run their quarry to earth in the network of streets that border on the London docks. One of the most beautifully knit and exciting novels by J.S. Fletcher.

'The Influence Fails' is a mystery story involving a dastardly plot. A young man finds himself suddenly and unexpectedly in a strange dining room in a house he has never been to before, with no memory of how he came to be there. A moment later, the owner of the house enters the room...and is naturally suspicious about the man's motives. But how did he get there? Why did he come? What can it all mean?

A wonderful collection of 50 phenomenal stories by the world’s great short story writers.

In the dead of night, Marshall Allerdyke is racing from London to Hull, driven by an urgent telegram from his cousin. As he approaches Hull, a striking woman flags him down, seeking directions to Scotland—an odd request at such a late hour. Distracted by his own pressing concerns, Allerdyke continues on his way. Upon arriving in Hull, he is met with a shocking revelation his cousin is dead in his hotel room, and a valuable shipment of jewels has vanished. The only lead he has is the enigmatic woman who was in such a hurry to leave. What secrets lie in her wake? (Summary by MaryAnn)

As the sun lengthens its days to summer, so a sport begins to dominate the thoughts and actions of many people. This game, which so encapsulated the village greens and evening song of Middle England, has now spread across the world.

On the southern edge of the populous parish of Paddington, England, in a parallelogram bounded by Oxford and Cambridge Terrace on the south, Praed Street on the north, and by Edgware Road on the east and Spring Street on the west, lies an assemblage of mean streets, the drab dullness of which forms a remarkable contrast to the pretentious architectural grandeurs of Sussex Square and Lancaster Gate, close by. In these streets the observant will always find all those evidences of depressing semi-poverty which are more evident in London than in any other English city.

A young landscape painter, finds himself stranded by a fierce snowstorm near the Scottish Border and seeks refuge at the ancient, isolated house. He is taken in by the graceful young mistress, and her eccentric, ascetic guardian, an antiquary and collector. He quickly falls in love. He realizes that his host is at the center of a profound and potentially dangerous mystery tied to this single object, The Copper Box, compelling him to stay and investigate.

In Orange-Yellow Diamond, a struggling novelist finds himself caught in a web of intrigue as he seeks to make ends meet. His quest for a little extra cash plunges him into a captivating mystery filled with murder, theft, and unexpected romance. While the story explores complex themes, it does include some stereotypes of ethnic groups, presented not with malice but as a reflection of its time. Join us for a riveting journey through this tale of suspense and adventure, masterfully narrated by Linette Geisel and MaryAnn. (Summary by Linette Geisel)